10/10: Ben Nevis- Highest Mountain in the UK (Malayo na pero Malayo pa Photo Competition)

By: Jie Almemdras

Highest mountain in the UK 

April 2025

In the middle of a vast, snowy landscape, a small line of figures moves slowly across the white horizon. The wind bites, the cold settles deep into the bones, and every step feels heavier than the one before. Yet no one stops. No one turns back. They move forward—steadily, quietly—toward a summit that looks close but demands far more strength than it reveals.

This image is more than a winter hike. It mirrors the journey of an Overseas Filipino Worker in the United Kingdom—my journey. A path that often feels like climbing through cold, unfamiliar terrain, where the ground shifts beneath my feet and the sky above you feels endlessly gray. The people walking ahead look small, just as you may sometimes feel small in a foreign land, surrounded by challenges that seem bigger than you. But there you are - moving, surviving, pushing forward.

The snow represents the weight of distance: the countless miles between you and the people you love. It covers the ground like all the unseen sacrifices you’ve had to make—silent, cold, and heavy. Yet the bright colors of the jackets, especially my wife (pink) stand out in the vastness. They show that even in the harshest seasons, you carry warmth. You carry color. You carry hope.

Being far from home means learning to walk on unfamiliar ground, learning to keep yourself warm not just from the weather but from loneliness, fatigue, and homesickness. The journey is long, and often, the destination is not clear. Some days it looks like you’re almost there. Some days it feels like you haven’t moved at all. But the truth remains: you’re walking. You’re still here.

“Malayo Na Pero Malayo Pa” speaks of progress and perseverance at the same time. You have come so far—from the day you left home carrying dreams heavier than your luggage—to standing in a place your younger self never imagined. You’ve learned new systems, new routines, new ways of living. You’ve survived days you thought would break you. That is the “malayo na.”

But there is also the “malayo pa.” The goals still ahead. The dreams for your family. The future you continue to shape piece by piece. The longing that still aches. The strength you must keep building. The sacrifices that don’t seem to end. The mountain that rises before you again and again.

Yet this photo shows something important: you’re not alone. Just like the climbers ascending together, you walk with others—friends, coworkers, fellow OFWs—who understand the same cold and carry similar burdens. Even if each person has their own pace and struggles, you move forward side by side.

Every rock on this mountain path is a reminder that progress is rarely smooth. Every breath in the cold air is proof of your resilience. And every step upward is a quiet victory.

This image captures what it means to pursue a better life in a land far from home: the bravery of continuing even when the journey feels endless. The humility of accepting that growth takes time. The courage of walking toward a summit you cannot yet see clearly—but believing it exists.

You are far.

But you are strong.And as long as you keep walking, every step—no matter how slow—brings you closer.

Malayo na. Pero malayo pa.

At handa kang tapusin ang pag-akyat. 

Love this photo?

Help us choose the People Choice Award!

Visit Manong George page, view the entries and like your favourite!

**Entries are listed in no particular order.

Want to hear more Malayo na pero Malayo pa Stories? Listen to Manong's latest podcast series-- Moneyfesting with Manong George. Available in Spotify, You Tube and Apple Podcast.